HarperScientific, a division of global anilox supplier Harper Corporation of America, has introduced EZ-Bore, an easy-to-use brush for cleaning sleeve bores. Supplied as a kit, the brush features an aluminum anodized handle with a specially designed grip, a customer-specified brush in 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-inch diameters and foam pads in diameters ranging from 5 to 8 inches.

When supplied new, mandrels are designed for minimal expansion by air and compression of its foam layer to assure hassle-free sleeve installation along their full length. Clean, ink-free components are essential to an efficient process, the company says.

In addition, bore cleaning protects a sleeve from damage caused by the buildup of ink at each of the sleeve’s ends. Dried ink can cause a sleeve to be “glued” to the mandrel. Even a slight amount of ink on a sleeve’s inner liner can alter the sleeve’s inner diameter. That change can tighten up the sleeve and increase sliding friction, complicating installation. Thus, the EZ-Bore simplifies maintenance of anilox and plate sleeves and makes sleeve mounting and demounting from a press print station easier.